FindIt!, powered by BiblioCommons, is the new primary web interface to PLS Libraries' catalog. It enables easy searching, organizing, and sharing of your favorite library materials. It is a shared web service serving over 1 million patrons from more than 40 other libraries around the world.

Why do I have to register?

Registration is easy! Just pick a user name and accept the Terms & Conditions and you're done. Any content that you create (ratings, reviews, lists etc) will be associated with your user name in order to keep your library card number private. You can still log in with your library card number if you want to.

Why can't I continue to use my smcl.org user name?

FindIt! shares user contributions (like comments) from libraries around the world. This means there will be lots of great content. But, in order to share like this, we need every user to have a unique username. If your smcl.org user name is not available when you register, a similar user name that is available will be suggested.

What happened to My Checkout History?

If you had My Checkout History enabled in the old catalog, you can still access it with FindIt! Go to the My SMCL menu and select Recently Returned. Then check the box to enable Recently Returned. This will import your Checkout History to FindIt!.

Why do I see lists and reviews from people at other libraries?

The public rating, commenting and sharing features of FindIt! are active across all participating libraries. San Mateo County Library patrons can see the public feedback from patrons of other libraries, and vice versa. All ratings, comments, tags and lists are public and available to all. Items on each patron's "shelves" can be set to public or private depending on the patron's preference.

Why can't children select a user name?

In the United States, children under 13 are not allowed to enter free-text on websites without parental approval (per COPPA: the Child Online Privacy Protection Act). Currently, we do not have an option to ensure parental approval, so we came up with the color/animal/number format for usernames, but we hope to provide other options in the future. Once a child turns 13, he or she will be able to select a username and have other free-text options available.